Music rest



Nov. 4, 1941.

H. J. WAECHTER MUSIC REST Filed Jan. l9, 1939 INYENTOR. WM

flgoRNEls Patented Nov. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT Harry J. Waechter, Mount Healthy, Ohio, as; I

' signor to Paul Benninghofen and Fritz G. Diesv bach, both of Hamilton, Ohio, trustees Application January'lQ, 193 9,Serial N0. 251,733 V Claims. (01. 45-121) This invention relates to supporting means for sheet music, books, etc. More particularly the invention is-directed to a rackdesigned to support the sheets of music or book substantially vertical position with the pages in angular relationship when open for reading. This type of rack is ordinarily mounted at the top of a tripod stand or the like. Also it is foldable and, in this respect, it is of importance that it fold into an extremely compact unit. Moreover, it should be conveniently and quickly set up or disposed in position for use. of a rack, which will support the sheets in angular arrangement and fold conveniently and compactly, presents problems of fabrication and proper assembly.

Accordingly, it has been the object of the present inventor to provide a foldable rack for the purposes disclosed, which will provide, when set up, supporting surfaces slightly angularly related, which is set up from a compact folded position to fully set-up position by a simple operation, which sets up to the correct position without attention or adjustment, and which incorporates a novel arrangement of the main or central strip, greatly facilitating the manufacture and extremely effective toward the end of compactness in folding.

Other objects and certain advantages will be more fully apparent in a description of the ac- 1 companying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of the improved rack.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the rack partially folded.

Figure 3 is a front view showing the rack completely folded.

Figure 4 is a side view of the rack.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5, Figure 4 detailing the arrangement of the elements when folding.

The rack or rest of the type concerned herein is usually mounted at the top of a tripod stand. The invention here is not concerned with the tripod and post arrangement. For this reason, the support is not shown in the drawing except for fragments of the upper end.

The improved rest is formed of strips of metal. A central strip l0 provides the base or body portion and constitutes the element upon which all the parts are folded. This strip is pressed to provide angularly related flanges Hl l.

A socket is riveted to the lower end of the strip Ill. For reasons which will be more ap- The constructionparent later, the strip is also pressed to provide a depressed portion l2 extending from the'top substantially to the lower endand leaving a portion I3, to the back of which the sock'etis attached and to the front of which the adjacent ends of the rest elements I4'-l4 are attached. The'seelements l lm are angular and their vertical flanges l5 l5 are secured to the respective sides of the strips by means of rivets or pins l6 loosely set so that a pivotal action of the rests is possible. The other flanges ll-I1 of the rest constitute'the horizontal supports for the book or sheets of music.

These rests, when down in service position as shown in Figure 1, are supported by means of linkages extending from the tip of the central strip to the ends of the rests. Specifically. each linkage l8 consists of two links I9|9 pivotally attached at their adjacent ends and pivotally attached to the central strip and the particular rest at their respective outer ends. As an additional support or back rest for the sheets or books, a metal strip 20 is associated with each linkage, being attached thereto at the pivotal connection 2| between the respective links of each linkage and projecting at right angles outwardly and upwardly when in service position.

The alignment and squaring of the link parts l9-I9 is achieved by means of a stop 22 formed on the inner end of the additional strip. This stop is formed by turning a portion of the end forwardly into position where it will lie against the side of the lower link and will thus prevent rotation at the central pivot beyond the aligned position of the links of the linkage.

The curved end of the lower link in each case is cut away to provide an abutment 23. This abutment comes into contact with the stop 22 on the strip 20 when the parts are folded, thereby causing the additional orextended element 29 to become aligned with the lower link (see Figure 2).

Now, when the stand is folded into the position indicated in Figures 3, 4, and 6, the links and the additional extension fold into different planes, all of which lie within the confines of the depression I2 in the angular strip. Accordingly, it will be seen that the folded stand is compact, despite the angular back strip I0, and that, furthermore, the operation of setting up the stand is simple.

Thus, when the stand is set up, the operator simply pushes the rest elements downwardly and the linkages and back supports automatically assume the correct positions as illustrated.

I claim:

1. A rack for music or the like comprising; an

angular strip disposed centrally of the rack, rest elements pivotally attached to the lower end ofthe angular element, sectional linkage supporting the outer end of each rest from the top of the angular strip, back rest elements extending at right angles from the joints of the linkage sections, and stop means incorporated at said joints for causing the sections of the linkage to be selfaligning for causing said back rest elements to assume positions directly at right angles to the linkages.

tending outwardly from opposite sides of the strip when in position of use; said, restsexte nded outer ends of the rests and to the upper end of the strip, and a supporting strip extending at right angles from each aligned linkage and attached to the pivotal connection between the links of the linkage, said links and strips adapted to fold in different planes and to lie within the depressed portion of the strip when folded.

4. A music rack comprising, a strip of metal of V-form in transversecross-section, rests pivoted to each corner of the lower end of the strip and extended in the same general direction as the 2. A music stand comprising; a central strip' armS of the strip of V-form, sectional linkage rests pivoted at the lower end of the strip and exconnecting the respective outer ends of the rests tothe respective upper corners of the strips and,

xback rest elements extending at right angles fromthe joints of the linkage sections.

' 5. A musicrack comprising, a strip of metal of 'V-form withits'flanges extending angularly forupper end of the central strip, and meansfor.

causing automatic alignment of the elements of Y wardlyand constituting the central element of the rack,'rests pivoted to each corner of the lower end of said strip, each rest extending in the same general direction as the flange to which it is con:

nected, and means for supporting the rests; in positions; at right angles to theulongitudinal extent ofstriprp 7 HARRY J. WAECHTER. 1 

